System for purifying certain cell populations in blood or bone marrow by depleting others

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for purifying and harvesting certain cell populations in blood or bone marrow by depleting at least one of red blood cells, granulocytes, or platelets from a sample comprising blood, bone marrow, or stromal vascular fraction cells separated from adipose tissue is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a sterile, single use rigid, self-supporting cartridge within which the automated depletion, purification and harvesting of target cell populations occurs and all components may be distributed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C §371 to PCT applicationNo. PCT/US2011/028863, filed Mar. 17, 2011, which claims the benefit ofU.S. provisional application having Ser. No. 61/315,109, filed Mar. 18,2010, and from U.S. provisional application having Ser. No. 61/436,964,filed Jan. 27, 2011. The disclosure of these applications isincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cell separation system, and inparticular to a system for depleting certain blood components fromnormal blood, placental/umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, or stromalvascular fraction (SVF) cells once separated from adipose tissue.

2. Background of the Invention

Normal human blood generally comprises platelets (“PLTs”), plasma, redblood cells (“RBCs”), white blood cells (“WBCs”), and, in very smallquantities, stem and progenitor cells (SPCs). On average (known to varyamong individuals and, over time, within the same individual) RBCs makeup approximately 99.9% of the number of an individual's total bloodcells and account for approximately 45% of an individual's total bloodvolume. RBCs serve a vital function as the principal means of deliveringoxygen to the body tissues. Nearly all of the remainder of anindividual's blood volume is made up of plasma, a non-cell liquidcomponent of blood accounting for approximately 55% of the total bloodvolume and in which all blood cells are suspended.

Thus, over 99% by volume of normal blood is made up of plasma and RBCs.The remaining approximately <0.6% by volume of normal blood consists ofall other blood cell types and PLTs. PLTs are small, irregularly shapedanuclear cells that outnumber the WBCs by a factor of ˜10. PLTs play afundamental role in wound care by stopping bleeding and releasing amultitude of growth factors that repair and regenerate damaged tissue.

The next most prevalent blood cells are WBCs, making up by number onlyabout one tenth of one percent of the total cells in a typical bloodsample. However, WBCs are critical to the body's immune system anddefend the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials.The WBCs may be further divided into smaller subgroups. The largest suchsubgroup is granulocytes (GRNs), making up approximately 60% of allWBCs, and the other approximately 40% being mononuclear cells (MNCs).Throughout this application, the use of the term WBC may indicate areference to exclusively GRNs, exclusively MNCs, or some combination ofboth.

MNCs can further be broken down into lymphocytes and monocytes, but maycollectively be referred to as MNCs due to the presence in each cell ofa single round nucleus. MNCs are critical elements of the immune system,comprising T cells, B cells and NK cells that migrate to sites ofinfection in body tissue and then divide and differentiate intomacrophages and dendritic cells to elicit an immune response. Finally,the MNCs themselves can be further divided into even smallersubclasses—including extremely small quantities of multipotenthematopoietic (blood forming) stem and progenitor cells and mesenchymal(bone, fat, cartilage, muscle and skin forming) stem and progenitorcells, both critical to human health. Another source of MNCs are thestromal vascular fraction cells (SVFCs) that have been separated fromadipocytes removed from individuals during liposuction.

Samples of normal blood, placental/umbilical cord blood or bone marroware drawn in excess of 25 million times per year in the industrialworld. Because the samples are generally taken either as a part ofresearch into treatment of disease or for direct clinical treatment, theblood cells most often isolated are WBCs, followed by MNCs. MNCs includeall the stem and progenitor cells, and approximately 40% of thecritically important immune cells. Thus the cells most often in demandrepresent only a very small fraction of the cells drawn for a typicalsample.

Thus if a relatively purified population of cells containing essentiallyall the stem and progenitor cells (SPCs) and depleted of substantiallyall the RBCs is desired, there is a need to separate the components ofblood or bone marrow described above so as to isolate the WBCs or, ifmore purity is desired, the MNCs. This need for consistent, effectiveprocesses to separate these cell populations and harvest the targetcells is especially pressing due to the increasing demand for SPCs forresearch, clinical trials, and point of care medical practices.

The interest in and research conducted on SPCs is staggering. As ofNovember 2010 over 100,800 stem cell research articles have beenpublished worldwide. There are currently at least 7,000 principleresearchers focused on SPCs worldwide. In the United States alone thereare some 300 stem cell research centers and approximately 10,000individual labs. As a result of this extensive research has 199 clinicaltrials with cord blood stem cells, 34 clinical trials using adiposetissue, and 1,405 clinical trials using bone marrow stem cells are nowunderway according to clinicaltrials.gov, the NIH website.

3. Description of Related Art

Conventional methods of isolating and harvesting certain cell types froma whole blood or bone marrow aspirate sample generally involvecentrifugation of the sample. During centrifugation, populations ofcells tend to migrate to a relative position along the axis of lesser togreater acceleration according to their density, and concentrate inlayers, displacing other higher and lower density cell types and plasmaduring the process.

FIG. 1 shows the density and average diameter of various cell typesfound in human blood. The physical differences between different celltypes are important when the blood is centrifuged. When the blood iscentrifuged the cells begin to move to new locations at velocities thatare in accordance with many fluid dynamic factors, including Stokes Law.The fact that all cells retain a slight negative charge militatesagainst direct cell-membrane-to-cell-membrane contact. In an environmentcomprising mainly plasma, with relatively few cells, the larger thecell, the more rapidly it travels. However as the concentration of cellsrises, the effect of cell charge begins to substantially determine cellvelocity.

However, in all cases, the denser the cell, the lower in the container(that is, further from the axis of centrifuge rotation) it willultimately migrate to and settle. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the densestcells, RBCs (having a density between 1.08 and 1.12), will migrate tothe bottom of the container being centrifuged. Within the RBC layer thenucleated red blood cells (which exist in both cord blood and bonemarrow but not in normal blood) will be at the top of the red cellfraction. On top of the RBCs will be the GRNs (density 1.07-1.11), then,in order moving closer to the axis of rotation in the container, thelymphocytes (density 1.05-1.09), monocytes (density 1.045-1.0750) andthe PLTs (1.03-1.065). It is known that the SPCs have a density closestto monocytes and lymphocytes and thus can be captured if those morenumerous cells are captured. By taking advantage of the known stratathat form under certain conditions, harvesting of one type of cell canbe facilitated through the harvesting of only its strata. FIG. 2 alsoshows the relative frequency of the blood cell types in typical samplesof normal blood, cord blood and bone marrow, and finally shows thatthere is some overlap in cell populations organized by density, as willbe discussed below.

While creating the stratified cell layers generally requires nothingmore than the application of high G forces over a set amount of time,precisely removing a specific layer of cells is problematic. Toillustrate the rarity and small volume of certain cell populations in agiven sample, FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 detail the respective average volumes ofeach cell population in normal blood (NB), cord blood (CB) and bonemarrow (BM) after centrifugation and stratification.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate that the vast majority of cells are RBCs, whileFIG. 5 shows clearly that the volumes of non-RBC cellular bloodcomponents are so small that even with a 200 ml sample of cord blood thetotal volume of all GRNs (top line), MNCs (middle line) and PLTs (lowerline) is about 1 mL. In cord blood fewer than 1 out of every 1,000 bloodcells (approximately 0.08% of total cells) is an MNC. In a cord bloodsample including 10,000 RBCs, one would expect to find 40-200 PLTs, 3-6MNCs, and 5-10 granulocytes.

As explained, the vast majority of blood by both number of cells and byvolume is made up of cells other than WBCs. Because of the scarcity ofthese WBCs and their residence within liquid solutions populated byenormous numbers of RBCs, current methods to isolate WBCs are (A) laborand time intensive, requiring excellent laboratory technique, (B)typically cannot be accomplished in a sterile environment, (C) typicallyhave only between a 50-75% efficiency rate in capturing WBCs (a loss of25% to 50% of the WBCs), and (D) involve processes that may adverselyaffect cell function. Given the typically small size of blood samplesand the fact that SPCs are exceedingly rare in normal blood, there maybe no SPCs at all in a typical harvest of the WBCs from normal bloodand, although SPCs are more numerous in cord blood than in normal blood,they are still rare in cord blood.

To further illustrate how difficult it is to obtain WBCs from normalblood, a diagrammatic 50 ml test tube normally used in conventionalmanual blood component separation methods is shown in FIG. 6. Thesetubes are typically 28 mm in width. After centrifugation the separatedblood components are the plasma (top) and the RBCs (bottom) and a nearlyinvisible thin layer called a “buffy coat” disposed in between(exaggerated in size in FIG. 6 for purposes of illustration). This“buffy coat” contains nearly all the WBCs, SPCs and PLTs.

Although several semi-automated systems for harvesting WBCs from wholeblood are currently being marketed, their advantage in cell recoveryefficiency relative to manual methods is not significant, and theirmarket penetration is small. The prevalent current methods for isolatingand capturing WBCs within a blood or bone marrow sample employ twomanual processing technologies (A) the density gradient granules methodand (B) the density gradient disk method. For diagnostic or researchpurposes, it is estimated that ninety-nine times out of a hundred whenWBCs are isolated from blood or bone marrow they are isolated usingthese technologies. Both typically utilize cylindrical tubes for theprocess, and both rely on the careful manipulation of densities. Forexample, if the goal is to isolate MNCs, many thousands of tiny granulesor a disk (of slightly smaller diameter than the tube inner diameter)with a density of approximately 1.08 are placed in the tube. Thisspecific density value is chosen as it is equidistant between the mediandensities of GRNs and lymphocytes (see FIG. 2). In order to functioncorrectly, both these technologies require that the blood sample firstbe diluted with an amount of buffer equal to 2 to 4 times the bloodvolume.

Referring first to the granule method, after the buffered blood sampleis mixed with the granules in the test tube, centrifugation isinitiated. During centrifugation, the density of the granules causesthem to coalesce such that they divide the RBCs/GRNs from the MNCs/PLTs.FIG. 7 illustrates this process with Ficoll density gradient granulesdividing the MNCs from the RBCs/GRNs.

The method of using density gradient disks is very similar and isillustrated in FIG. 8. Here, the disks of density 1.08 migrate undercentrifugation to the interface between lymphocytes and GRN. However,most density gradient disks contain one feature not found in thegranules above: they comprise a cavity between the upper and lower diskswhere it is expected the MNCs will settle, thus somewhat simplifying thestep of harvesting of MNCs via a flexible tube that travels between thecavity and the top of the tube.

These manual methods for isolating and capturing MNCs from a bloodsample require patience and excellent manual dexterity. These methodstypically require 1½ to 2 hours to perform, and even with bestpractices, recovery of MNCs is often less than 60%. Thus the manualmethods commonly employed for isolating and capturing MNCs within ablood sample are less than optimal in terms of precision and speedbecause of numerous limitations in this technology.

First, density gradient solutions achieve isolation of a population ofWBCs from blood or bone marrow by relying on only one physicalfactor—density. Once the centrifugation begins, the density gradientmedium moves to a position where it is buoyant in the cell solution andstops. Typically, this migration of the cell populations to their finalpositions occurs during an acceleration and duration that are bothfixed, and thus rarely optimal for an individual blood sample.

Essentially the WBC or MNC harvesting efficiency of both densitygradient technologies is limited by the need to aim at the center of thegap between the median density bell curves of the granulocytes and thelymphocytes (i.e., 1.08), as mentioned above with regard to FIG. 2. AsFIG. 2 makes clear, this fixed density clearly does not exclude all thegranulocytes or even all RBCs and does, in fact, discard some of thedesired lymphocytes.

This simplistic approach also does not accommodate the fact that even innormally healthy people, there exists significant variation in thenumber and density of cells of each type and the sedimentation ratesamong samples may differ by as much as an order of magnitude. Further,if the patient has certain diseases the variation in the relative cellpopulations and the sedimentation rates of the cells can be muchgreater—up to two orders of magnitude. Consequently, these primitive WBCor MNC isolation technologies are rarely optimal for any specific sampleof blood.

The best way to conceive of the severity of this limitation is tounderstand that the cells in a sample of blood, evenly distributedthroughout the volume prior to centrifugation, begin a race to a newlocation when centrifugation begins. The efficiency of the WBC or MNCisolation technology depends upon how precisely all the WBCs wind up atthe same strata at the end of the race—and how well the technician canextract the WBCs from this location with a pipette at normal 1 Gconditions where the cells will begin to remix with only the slightestmotion of the container, or the slightest motion of the pipette tip.

Scientists have long studied the rate at which RBCs from normal bloodmigrate down a container under 1 G conditions. This measurement iscalled the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR. Although thecentrifugal acceleration used in conventional MNC isolation processesaccelerate this rate of sedimentation, they do not change the percentagevariation of the sedimentation rates of the different cell types.Further, as RBCs are more than 1000 times as numerous as WBCs and 2000times as numerous as MNCs, and all the cells maintain a slight negativecharge, it is the RBC migration that most effects isolating the WBCpopulations.

The ESR (measured in millimeters per hour—mm/hour) in adults of variousage are shown in FIG. 9. In children, normal values of ESR have beenfound to be 1 to 2 mm/hour at birth, rising to 4 mm/hour 8 days afterdelivery, and then to 17 mm/hour by day 14 (a change of more than anorder of magnitude in less than two weeks). The ESR is so variable thatit is used to diagnose malignant diseases, such as multiple-myeloma,various auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and chronickidney diseases wherein the ESR may exceed 100 mm/hour, five times thatof a normal adult.

Further, it is noted that WBCs at the bottom of a container can onlymove upward to join those descending from the top of the container as aresult of being buoyed up on the ascending plasma displaced by thedescending RBCs. Note that the very small number of WBCs in a solutionmust negotiate their path upwards against the flow of RBCs, a thousandtimes more numerous, moving in the opposite direction through the samevertical channel. Further, as the acceleration and duration of thecentrifuge is programmed at the start of the run, a duration that issatisfactory to relocate all the cells within a specific sample may beinsufficient for many other blood samples in that most of the RBCs maynot have arrived at the bottom of the tube and thus many of the targetWBCs may not have been buoyed up to the “buffy-coat” strata by theascending plasma. As this process takes place in a closed centrifugewithin a rapidly spinning rotor, the operator is unable to observe theactual motion of the cells.

There is thus a need for a system, which optically tracks, in real time,the migration of cell populations within each individual blood sampleduring centrifugation. Such a system would allow each individual bloodsample to be custom processed according to the specific size and densityof that blood sample's constituent cell populations. This improvedsolution should also greatly increase the harvesting efficiency oftarget WBC or MNC cell populations.

A further drawback to density gradient mediums is that they requirebuffers, which occupy most of the volume of a given harvest tube,minimizing the volume of blood from which WBCs are to be harvested. Abuffer often occupies 70% to 90% of the 50 ml volume of a typicalharvest tube, leaving space for only 5 to 15 ml of blood. Consequently,a technician who needs to harvest WBCs from 100 ml of blood must employ7 to 20 test tubes—further increasing the labor required to accomplishthe goal. Additionally, in order to achieve adequate purity fromcontaminants in the final WBC population, the granular density gradientmediums and the buffers will need to be washed out, inevitably causing afurther loss of target cells.

There is thus a need for a means for depleting undesired cells from ablood or bone marrow sample, which does not require voluminous densitygradient mediums or buffers. The means may optionally allow the harvestof WBCs from larger volume samples, further increasing the number ofconstituent cells that may be recovered for diagnostic or clinical use.

A third drawback to the density gradient based blood separation methodsdescribed above is that the parallel vertical walls of a densitygradient harvest tube do not assist the WBCs rising duringcentrifugation to lie atop the RBCs. The density gradient harvest testtubes in conventional systems have vertical parallel walls meaning thatduring centrifugation all the cells either fall or rise vertically alongthe axis of the tube. As described above, each ascending WBC mustnegotiate thousands of RBCs moving in the opposite direction. Theharvest test tube's parallel vertical walls provide no lateral motion todescending RBCs and ascending WBCs that could assist the rise of theWBCs during centrifugation. As a result a significant portion of theWBCs that began the spin cycle in the bottom of the tube may not rise tothe harvest “buffy coat” layer during the chosen centrifugation regimen.

There is thus a need to overcome the entrapment of WBCs at the bottom ofthe test tube through utilization of a funnel-shaped harvest chamberthat radically narrows at the bottom, such that most of the descendingRBCs are forced to the center, enhancing eddy currents led by thelightest of the RBCs ascending to the top of the RBC volume. In turnthese eddy currents assist the ascension of the much less numerous butmore buoyant WBCs.

A fourth drawback to the density gradient based separation methods isthe constant large cross sectional area of the density gradient harvesttest tube at the location where the MNCs are harvested manually at 1 G.

Because the walls of a standard 50 ml density gradient harvest tube area fixed ˜28 mm apart, the very small volume of MNCs from a 10 mlperipheral blood sample (˜0.028 ml) are spread across the entire crosssectional area of the tube (˜615 mm²) in a thin layer (˜0.023 mm) whichis nearly invisible. Because of this broad cross sectional area and theresulting thin layer of MNCs, the stratifying effects of the densitydifferences between cell populations are miniscule. Consequently,harvesting the MNCs at 1 G requires a highly trained technician toslowly and carefully insert a pipette tip into this very thin layer ofcells that floats between the density gradient (below) and plasma(above) and then gently apply a suction to draw the MNCs up into thepipette. However, the very small density variations between cellpopulations, when not magnified by substantial centrifugal forces, andthe large cross sectional area of the tube conspire to keep theMNCs/PLTs essentially all in the same thin vertical layer. Consequently,no amount of care during this manual suction process prevents theroiling of the MNC/PLT layer and the density gradient media so a loss ofMNCs and substantial contamination of the cells by the density gradientgranules ensues. It is thus not uncommon to lose ˜25-40% of the MNCsduring this procedure.

There is thus a need to avoid losses during the harvest of MNCs bydepleting RBCs and most of the GRNs through the narrow cross sectionalarea of a funnel exit while substantial centrifugation maintains theintegrity and purity of the cell strata and elongates them vertically asthey descend down the tapered funnel.

A fifth drawback to conventional density gradient granule based systemsis due to the direct contact between the density gradient granules andthe cells. The extensive direct contact between these granules and thecells to be harvested has been reported to damage the cell function dueto a form of toxicity. For example, Yuhan Chang, et al recently reportedin “The Efficiency of Percoll and Ficoll Density Gradient Media in theIsolation of Marrow Derived Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells with OsteogenicPotential” (Chang Gung Med J 2009; 32:264-75) that when cytoxicity testswere run on CFU-Fs (passage one) by culturing with a mixture of controlmedium and Percoll or Ficoll in serial dilutions to assess thegrowth-inhibitory or cytotoxic effects of these two gradient media, theCFU-Fs exhibited greater cell death as the ratio of gradient mediumincreased in both groups.

There is thus a need to provide for the depletion of RBCs, or RBCs andGRNs, or RBCs, GRNs and PLTs, or RBCs, GRNs and MNCs, without requiringthe addition of density gradient granules or any other foreign matterthat may alter or damage cell function.

A sixth drawback of conventional blood separation methods, with orwithout density gradient granules, is the probability that significantnumbers of RBCs may remain in the final product due to the variabilityin technician competence and the ease of inadvertently remixing thecells at 1 G. Several recent studies have highlighted the importance ofminimizing RBC contamination because such contamination decreases theefficacy of medical treatments using these MNCs.

Examples of these mal effects of RBC contamination abound, for examplesee “Red Blood Cell Contamination of the Final Cell Product Impairs theEfficacy of Autologous Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cell Therapy,” Assmus etal., Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 55.13, 2010, whereinit is disclosed that contaminating RBCs affect the functionality ofisolated BMCs and determine the extent of left ventricular ejectionfraction recovery after intracoronary BMC infusion in patients withacute myocardial infarction. See also, “Packed Red Blood Cells SuppressT-Cell Proliferation Through a Process Involving Cell-Cell Contact,”Bernard et al., The Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection, and CriticalCare, 69.2, August 2010, wherein it is disclosed that stored RBCs exerta potent inhibitory effect on T-cell proliferation, and it is likelythat similar suppression of T-cell proliferation could occur in vivoafter blood transfusion and may be a major contributor to transfusionrelated immunomodulation.

There is thus a need to provide for the greater and more predictabledepletion of RBCs, GRNs and, possibly, PLTs from a collected sample ofnormal or cord blood, bone marrow or SVF cells separated from adiposetissue in order to recover a more purified solution containing SPCs.

The few commercially available systems that have automated this cellseparation and depletion process (such as the Hemonetics V50, the CobeSpectra, the Sepax System by Biosafe SA of Switzerland, and theThermogenesis AXP by Thermogenesis Corp. of California) also havesubstantial drawbacks and have not achieved improved recoveries ofpurified WBCs relative to the conventional manual means. An additionaldrawback is that these commercially available automated systems requireexpensive capital equipment in order to operate. These automated devicescost tens of thousands of dollars and occupy substantial laboratoryspace if significant production of units of purified WBCs arerequired—such as with cord blood stem cell banks that may process 40 to200 units per day. FIG. 10 illustrates the costs of processing fourunits of blood with two prior art systems and with the current system.

A second drawback of the currently commercially available automatedsystems is that they require complicated, expensive, difficult tomanufacture single use disposable bag sets linked together withsubstantial tubing to process the cells, as shown in FIG. 11. These bagsets take approximately five minutes to correctly load into theirdedicated devices and to ready the system to process the blood or bonemarrow. These prior art bag sets are complex and costly to manufacture.As shown in FIG. 11 these prior art bag sets require more than 20individually formed glue joints.

There is thus a need for a simpler, less expensive, faster and easier touse automated system that is also able to achieve higher recoveries ofWBCs with less contamination by RBCs. There is further a need for asystem that employs a simple, inexpensive to manufacture single-usedisposable processing container, which does not require multiple bagsand complex connecting tubing.

FIG. 12 illustrates the simplicity of the current invention in that itprovides an all-in-one cylindrical cartridge in which all cellprocessing occurs and in which all components related to cellstratification and depletion are disposed. In as few as one or twoseconds this cartridge may lock onto the top of a dedicated cylindricalcontrol module and be ready for insertion into a centrifuge cup. Thecontrol module contains optical and gravitational sensing means as wellas means for controlling the activity in the cartridge.

This all in one cartridge benefits from the manufacturing precision ofinjection molding and is much simpler and labor efficient to constructthan conventional processing disposables for prior art automated systemstypically comprising multiple bag sets and complicated connecting tubingconnected thereto.

It is thus a first objective of the present invention to optically trackthe migration of the cell populations for each individual blood sampleand to then deplete certain cell types by diverting them into asecondary and separate compartment within the same cartridge duringcentrifugation.

It is a second objective of the present invention to provide for theselective depletion of substantially all unwanted cell types while notrequiring volume consuming density gradient mediums or buffers.

It is a third objective of the present invention to provide a rigidfunnel shaped harvest chamber that is substantially narrower at itsbottom portion such that descending RBCs are forced to the center of thefunnel, thereby enhancing vertical eddy currents led by the lightest ofthe RBCs ascending to the top of the red cell volume which assists theascension of the much less numerous but more buoyant WBCs to the initialWBC stratification and concentration level.

It is a fourth objective of the present invention to provide anall-in-one cartridge in which all cell processing occurs and in whichall components related to cell stratification and depletion are locatedat the completion of the centrifugation. The cartridge may be easily,quickly and removably locked to a control module that, undercentrifugation, relies on its own strength for support rather than asupport structure in which it is nested. This cartridge preferablycomprises at least three rigid compartments: (1) The RBC compartmentinto which the bulk RBCs and, at operator discretion, unwanted GRNs aredirected; (2) the stem cell (SC) compartment into which the targetedWBCs are directed which may include, at operator discretion, GRNs,lymphocytes, monocytes, SPCs and/or platelets; and (3) the harvestfunnel which initially contains the entire sample of blood or bonemarrow and retains, after processing, any excess plasma.

It is a fifth objective of the present invention to create a layer ofWBCs within a funnel that, when urged downwards by centrifugal force,encounter a portion of the funnel of decreasing diameter, therebycausing said WBC layer to increase in vertical thickness.

It is a sixth objective of the present invention to provide a means forstratifying a blood sample into RBCs, GRNs, MNCs, PLTs and plasma, andfor precisely opening and closing certain valves at the interfacebetween certain cell layers.

It is a seventh objective of the present invention to provide a means ofharvesting a higher percentage of the WBCs while simultaneouslydepleting a higher percentage of RBCs than is obtainable usingconventional manual or automated systems and without the requirement ofRBC sedimentation agents such as hetastarch.

It is an eighth objective of the present invention to provide the aboveseven objectives at a reduced cost as compared to conventional manualand automated systems currently in place.

These and other objectives, advantages, features, and aspects of thepresent invention will become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, theinvention, then, comprises the features hereinafter more fully describedand particularly pointed out in the claims, the following descriptionand the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of butseveral of the various ways in which the principles of the invention maybe employed

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present application presents to a method and device for depletingRBCs from a blood sample and, in some circumstances, depleting GRNs,and, in other circumstances, PLTs, the method comprising thecentrifugation of a cartridge based holder and separator of cellsolutions. FIG. 13 shows a simple schematic overview of the processdescribed herein. The present invention selectively depletessubstantially all unwanted RBCs, and, at the discretion of the operator,also depletes certain WBCs (preferably GRNs) and also, at the discretionof the operator, depletes PLTs from a blood or bone marrow sample so asto optimally isolate and then harvest purified MNCs. The invention inthe preferred embodiment comprises a single use hard plastic cartridgein which all processing occurs and in which all cell populations, PLTs,and plasma may be distributed during centrifugation. The inventioneliminates the need for density gradient granules or disks. Theinvention also eliminates the need for fragile thin film plastic bagsets and their complicated and wasteful interconnecting tubing, whichleads to leaks at the many glued joints, and which unavoidably trapsMNCs and SPCs that cannot subsequently be recovered. The inventionfurther provides an easy-to-use locking cartridge comprising an interiorfunnel with a precisely narrowing cross section to optimize the flow ofcells within a gravity-well and to vertically stratify cell populations.

As shown in FIG. 13, in use, at a high G-force, the WBCs may first bestratified out from a sample of peripheral or umbilical cord blood, bonemarrow or solution of SVF cells removed from adipose tissue. Then at asecond, lower G force, the device and method allow the centrifugal forceto urge the cells away from the axis of rotation and direct the RBCsfrom the bottom of the funnel to a contained compartment. As thestratified WBCs enter the space of decreasing diameter formerly occupiedby the departing RBCs, a disk of WBCs and MNCs of decreasing radius andincreasing vertical thickness is formed.

By removing RBCs during centrifugation, the WBC layer between the RBClayer and the plasma layer moves down into this narrow portion of thefunnel to the point that the WBCs and MNCs are at the top section of thenarrowing funnel. Subsequently as the red cells continue to be removed,either to the RBC depletion compartment or to precede the WBCs to becaptured into the SC compartment the stratified layers are verticallyelongated, thereby facilitating the removal of only the desired celltypes.

It is to be understood that funnel tips of varying circumferences andgeometries, as shown in FIG. 14, may be employed. These differentcircumferences and geometries alter the flow rate and cell density, andsubsequently the optical readings of the infrared sensors, as the cellsmove towards the funnel exit.

In the preferred embodiment an optical sensing system identifies eachtype of cell population as they exit the funnel. The optical sensingsystem is in communication with one or more valve means for directingand controlling the flow of certain populations of cells to one of twolocations. For instance, and as illustrated in FIG. 13, as thestratified layer of WBCs passes the optical sensing system, the WBCs maybe directed to a secondary SC recovery compartment within the disposablecartridge. The WBCs may then be urged by the pressure of the fluid andcells behind/above the WBCS to move initially perpendicular to the axisof rotation and then upwards toward the axis of rotation into astandpipe in the SC recovery compartment.

The present invention may further comprise a means to track thegravitational field over time and to provide data critical to both thedepletion of the RBCs and, optionally, GRNs and/or PLTs from the sample.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of theinvention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomesbetter understood by reference to the following detailed description,when taken in conjunction with the attached charts and figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plot of the density and average diameter of various celltypes found in human blood;

FIG. 2 is a plot showing the different densities of various cell typesfound in human blood;

FIG. 3 is a table of the proportionate volume of cell populations aftercentrifugation;

FIG. 4 is a table of the volume of cells in various volumes ofanti-coagulated blood;

FIG. 5 is a plot of the volume of anti-coagulated blood versus thevolume of centrifuged cell populations;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the layers into which human blood separatesduring centrifugation in a standard test tube;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the layers into which a mixture of humanblood and a Ficoll additive separate after centrifugation;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how human blood separates when centrifugedwith blood separation discs in a standard test tube;

FIG. 9 is a table of ESR values of average men and women of differentages.

FIG. 10 is a drawing illustrates the relative cost of processing fourblood samples with several prior art systems and with the currentsystem;

FIG. 11 is a drawing showing the relative complexity of the disposablecomponent of prior art blood separation systems and the currentinvention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective drawing of the disposable cartridge and controlmodule of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a diagram providing an overview of the process of the currentinvention;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of several embodiments of the funneltip of the current invention;

FIG. 15 is a partial wireframe perspective view of the disposablecartridge, control module, and various features of the control moduleand the cartridge of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the disposable cartridge, control module,and an exemplary centrifuge cup of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the control module of the currentinvention.

FIG. 18 a is a wireframe side view of the disposable cartridge with cutline A-A marked;

FIG. 18 b is a perspective view of the disposable cartridge cut alongline A-A.

FIG. 19 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a disposable cartridgewith the narrow bottom of the funnel shown;

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention before centrifugation;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention during centrifugation;

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the valve system portion of apreferred embodiment of the present invention during centrifugation;

FIG. 23 is a detail view of the cantilever valve system of analternative embodiment of the current invention;

FIG. 24 is a detail perspective view of the cam portion of a preferredembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible conduit of a preferredembodiment of the present invention, showing the relative size ofvarious cells present in human blood and the flexible conduit;

FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention after ten minutes of centrifugation;

FIG. 27 is a detail cross-sectional view of the optical sensing portionof a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a detail cross-sectional view of the valve system, standpipe,RBC collection chamber, and SC collection chamber of a preferredembodiment of the present invention during depletion of RBCs;

FIG. 29 is a detail cross-sectional view of the valve system, standpipe,RBC collection chamber, and SC collection chamber of a preferredembodiment of the present invention during depletion of RBCs and GRNs;

FIG. 30 is a detail cross-sectional view of the valve system, standpipe,RBC collection chamber, and SC collection chamber of a preferredembodiment of the present invention after depletion of RBCs and GRNs;

FIG. 31 is a plot of the values measured by a l′ positionemitter/receive pair of a preferred embodiment of the present inventionduring depletion of MNCs;

FIG. 32 is a detail cross-sectional view of the valve system, standpipe,RBC collection chamber, and SC collection chamber of a preferredembodiment of the present invention during depletion of MNCs and top-upwith plasma;

FIG. 33 is a detail cross-sectional view of the funnel, valve system,standpipe, RBC collection chamber, and SC collection chamber of analternative embodiment wherein centrifugation is stopped after depletionof the RBCs and GRNs;

FIG. 34 is a detail cross-sectional view of the funnel, valve system,standpipe, RBC collection chamber, and SC collection chamber of analternative embodiment wherein centrifugation is stopped after depletionof the RBCs and GRNs and the entire cartridge is shaken so as to mix theremaining plasma, MNCs, and PLTs;

FIG. 35 is a detail cross-sectional view of the funnel, valve system,standpipe, RBC collection chamber, and SC collection chamber of analternative embodiment wherein the cartridge is centrifuged a secondtime at lower G force and for less time so as to collect substantiallyall the MNCs but only a small portion of the PLTs;

FIG. 36 is a detail cross-sectional view of the funnel, valve system,standpipe, RBC collection chamber, and SC collection chamber of analternative embodiment after centrifugation is stopped and MNCs, plasma,and a small portion of PLTs are collected in the harvest compartment;

FIG. 37 is a detail cross-sectional view of the funnel, valve system,standpipe, RBC collection chamber, and SC collection chamber of analternative embodiment in which GRNs are desired in the SC harvestcompartment; and

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of the cartridge of a preferred embodimentof the current invention showing the SC harvest tube and the RBC/GRNharvest tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is presented to enable a person of ordinaryskill in the art to make and use various aspects and examples of thepresent invention. Descriptions of specific materials, techniques, andapplications are provided only as examples. Various modifications to theexamples described herein will be readily apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may beapplied to other examples and applications without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is notintended to be limited to the examples described and shown, but is to beaccorded the scope consistent with the appended claims.

The applicant discloses a method and device for depleting RBCs from ablood sample and, in some circumstances, depleting a particular GRN,and, in other circumstances, PLTs. The preferred embodiment of thepresent invention accomplishes this substantial depletion throughcentrifugation so as to optimally isolate and then harvest WBCsincluding substantially all the SPCs.

Turning first to FIG. 15, the applicant's method and device 1 in apreferred embodiment comprises a rigid disposable cartridge 10, whichmay hold up to 250 mL of liquid, is cylindrical, single-use, andconstructed preferably of hard plastic, and more preferably opticallyclear polycarbonate. The control module 40 in which the disposablecartridge 10 is seated is a battery operated, electro-mechanical devicewith optical and gravitational sensing. The preferred embodiment alsocomprises a membrane switch 41, a seven segment digital read out 42 andthree light emitting diodes 43 to inform and assist the user. Shown onthe left in FIG. 15 is a universal battery sign 44 that alerts the userto the charge condition of the battery. Shown in the center is an on-offswitch 45 for the control module and an LED, and on the right is adigital read out 42 and an LED that indicates whether the cell harvestrun was performed as designed and, if not, which error in operation mayhave occurred.

Turning to FIG. 16, an exploded view of the disposable cartridge 10 andthe control module 40, as well as a standard 750 ml centrifuge cup 70 isshown according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. Inoperation the disposable cartridge 10 and the control module 40 arereleasably locked together. The disposable cartridge comprises multiplecompartments, one of which is the funnel or rigid chamber 11.Preferably, the centrifuge cup 70 houses the control module 40, which isintended for repeated use with and in connection with the steriledisposable cartridge 10 above it. The control module 40 and cartridge10, in combination, preferably weigh approximately 450 grams. Amongother components to be described later, the cartridge includes an inlet12 at the top that serves as access for incoming fluid. This access maybe connected to tubing which may proceed to a phlebotomy needle or aspike for connecting to a cell solution and may also be coupled to aninline filter that removes any clots that would otherwise jam othersystem components during the remaining processing steps. The top of thedisposable cartridge may also contain a 0.2-micron filter 13 to providepassage for displaced air from within the funnel when blood or bonemarrow is introduced into the funnel. The top of the cartridge may alsocomprise a means of sterile filtering (not shown) of the blood, bonemarrow, or other fluids such as diluents, as they are introduced intofunnel.

Turning to FIG. 17, the motor circuit board electronics 47, locatedwithin the lower control module 40 is shown. The electromechanicalportion of the device preferably uses a rechargeable battery system topower a control module that monitors and controls gravitational andoptical sensing equipment and directs activity in the disposablecartridge. The means for determining a G force may be any commonly knownin the art, such as calculating said force through a measurement ofcentrifuge RPM, or through direct measurement of acceleration or force.

FIG. 18 a shows a diagrammatic side view of the disposable cartridge 10with labeled cross section A-A. FIG. 18 b shows a perspective view ofthe disposable cartridge 10 cut along cross section A-A. As described inthe process below, a biological fluid containing cells, such as normalblood, cord blood or bone marrow, is delivered to the largefunnel-shaped compartment having an open end that is initially closed bya valve means (not shown). The cartridge comprises a large first rigidstorage compartment or RBC depletion compartment 14 and the smallersecond rigid storage compartment or SC compartment 15 into which theWBCs and substantially all the SPCs are transferred. The RBC depletioncompartment 14 is significantly larger than the SC harvest compartment15, as the volume of RBCs depleted from a blood sample is always muchgreater that the volume of WBCs collected. All compartments are distinctfrom one another, but contiguous with respect to airflow. The RBCdepletion compartment 14 and the SC harvest compartment 15 are connectedby small chimneys 29 to the original chamber so as to allow displacementof air as cell solutions move from the original chamber into thecompartments.

Turning to FIG. 19, a perspective cross-sectional view of a disposablecartridge 10 with a narrow bottom of the funnel 11 is shown. The largerRBC depletion compartment 14 is seen in cross section on the left sideof the funnel. As will be described in detail below, in operation, theRBCs initially migrate towards the bottom of the funnel shaped primarycompartment, moving radially outward away from the axis of rotation ofthe centrifuge until reaching the valve system 16 at the bottom of thedevice. Here, the pressure head of fluid above the valve system urgesthe fluid into one of two compartments. Which compartment the fluid isdirected into is dependent upon the status (open, closed) of valves tothose compartments. In either case, after passing through the valvesystem 16 at the bottom of the cartridge 10, the fluid flows generallytoward the axis of rotation, urged by pressure from the of fluid (mostlyplasma) remaining in the primary compartment. The fluid that has passedthrough the valve system is then retained in either the RBC depletioncompartment 14 or the harvest compartment 15. Through minute adjustmentsof the valves, unwanted cell solutions may be depleted and desired cellsolutions may be harvested.

Turning to FIG. 20, a preferred embodiment of the present invention isshown in use. As shown, 100 ml of cord blood is placed inside the mainfunnel shaped compartment 11. The operator then attached the cartridge10 to the control module 40 (as shown in FIG. 21), and then loads thecartridge into a centrifuge, preferably a swinging bucket centrifuge,such as a Thermo Fisher Sorvall ST-40 tabletop centrifuge configured toaccept four 750 ml cylindrical buckets. Alternative centrifuges may beused that provide for more or less than four cartridges to becentrifuged at once.

Turning to FIG. 21, a representation of what occurs when the cartridge10 is subjected to high G forces is shown. Here, under an exemplary 2000G centrifugation the RBCs begin to migrate down and the WBCs begin tomigrate up from the bottom of the funnel and down from the top volume ofthe fluid to a position above the RBCs. Above the RBCs then, a very thinlayer of WBCs and PLTs begins to stratify and above that a volume ofplasma stratifies, the plasma is yellow in color. Under high G forces,the RBCs are increasingly squeezed together near the bottom of theprocessing funnel 11 with the heaviest of the RBCs lower and the lighterRBCs near the top of the RBC volume. It is noted that because duringcentrifugation the cartridge depicted in the figure is rotating about anaxis perpendicular to and located above the cartridge as shown, the Gforce experienced by the cartridge increases proportionally to thedistance from the axis of rotation and is roughly twice as high at thebottom of the centrifuge cup (2000 Gs) as at the top (1000 Gs).

Turning to FIG. 22, a detailed cut away side view of a preferredembodiment is shown. In this preferred embodiment the funnel 11 is keptseparated from the RBC depletion compartment 14 and SC harvestcompartment 15 by valve system 16. While many means of valve control arecontemplated, in a preferred embodiment a pinch valve system is used,wherein eccentric cams 17 control tube pinchers 18 that ultimatelydirect flow of liquid from the bottom of the funnel to the celldepletion compartment 14 and to the cell harvest compartment 15. Here,the pinch valves comprise two opposing clamps having pinching surfacesapproximately 0.088 inches wide, and require approximately 1.6 pounds ofpinching force to block all fluid passage through a urethane tube withan inner diameter of 0.062 inches and an exterior diameter of 0.088inches when the hydraulic pressure in the tube is at 325 PSI. Pinchingforces in excess of 1.6 pounds may be required at greater pressures, andreduced pinching forces may be sufficient at lower pressures.

Turning to FIG. 23, a cantilever system to achieve these requiredpinching pressures is shown. The cantilever system 19 may open and closethe valves (pinch and release the tubing) as needed. The springs 20 foreach cantilever 21 are preferably located at the extreme end of thecantilever. The actuator overcomes the resistance of the springs to movethe lever. Once the actuator stops applying force, the bias of thesprings urges the lever back to its first position.

Turning to FIG. 24, a detailed view of the cam portion of the tubepinching or valve closing mechanism is shown. The cam convertsrotational motion of a valve motor into a linear motion, which is usedto close or pinch the tube. As disclosed above, a cantilever system maybe employed in conjunction with the cam. As the cam 22 rotatesapproximately 90 degrees clockwise, the larger portion of the cam exertsa continuing clockwise torsional force on the rotor and motor due to thehigh gravitational field exerting a generally downward force across theentire device. The cam is specially designed to operate within anextremely high gravitational field. The cutout 23 shown and thecounterweight 24 located on the opposite side of the cam allow the smallmotor to provide enough force to rotate the cam counterclockwise 90degrees to its start position. The cam is thus specifically designed tonot only reduce the amount of material off-axis and subjected topotentially immobilizing gravitational forces, but also to counter theweight of the remainder of the cam in light of such forces. That is, asthe camshaft rotates about its central axis, this design assures thereis no addition or subtraction of torque as a result of G forces actingon the cam.

FIG. 25 shows the relative size of the various cells relative to theconnecting tubing or flexible conduit (the large outer circle) of anexemplary embodiment, which is located between the primary compartment11 and either the RBC depletion compartment 14 or the SC harvestcompartment 15. The tubing inner diameter in an exemplary embodiment is0.062 inch (1.575 mm). Tubing of other inner and outer diameter may beemployed, so long as complete cutoff of all cells and liquid is possiblevia a valve means. In an exemplary embodiment these flexible conduitshave a ratio of length to diameter not exceeding 20.

Returning to the description of the exemplary process, FIG. 26 shows anexemplary cartridge after approximately 10 minutes of centrifugation at2000 Gs. The buffy coat 2 stratifies at the interface between RBCs andplasma. The cells at the very bottom of the funnel 11 may reach an HCT(hematocrit, the proportion of blood volume occupied by red blood cells)approaching 90, but towards the top of the RBC layer the HCT may be only60-70, due to the lower centrifugation force at that distance from theaxis of rotation and the wide area of the funnel at that location.

Turning to FIG. 27, a detailed view of the narrow region of the funnel11 is shown. When the disposable cartridge 10 is attached to the controlmodule 40, in this narrow region of the primary compartment are at leastone but preferably two or more optical or other sensors 48 that detectthe type of cells flowing through that portion of the processing funnel.In this narrow region of the primary compartment are also at least onebut preferably two or more optical or other emitters 49. In an exemplaryembodiment shown four infrared emitters/detector pairs are arrangedvertically. In a preferred embodiment infrared sensors are locateddirectly across from paired infrared emitters. In second preferredembodiment, transmitters that provide wavelengths that arepreferentially absorbed by red cells are located directly across frompaired sensors sensitive to that frequency. In a third preferredembodiment sensors are utilized that identify cells that have absorbedfluorescent dyes. In the first preferred embodiment, the presence ofcells interferes with the emitted infrared light and the infrared lightdetector quantifies the amplitude of the signal penetrating the fluid.In a preferred embodiment the sensors may assign the level oftransmission a value from 0-1000. Pure plasma, which similar to waterblocks none of the infrared light, will register a value of roughly1000. As compacted RBCs pass, essentially all infrared light is blockedand the detector registers a value of 0.

Turning to FIG. 28, the next step in the process is shown. After asample has been centrifuged for a set amount of time (20 minutes in anexemplary embodiment), the centrifuge may slow to a speed that creates100 Gs at the bottom of the centrifuge bucket (that is, farthest fromthe axis of rotation). An on-board accelerometer may track the G-forcethroughout the process. Once the accelerometer detects that thecentrifuge has arrived at 100 Gs, the device waits a set amount of time(in order to ensure the centrifuge has settled at 100 Gs and is notpassing through to some lower G-force, such if the machine hadmalfunctioned or lost partial power), and then a first valve 25connecting the primary compartment 11 with the RBC depletion compartment14 opens, allowing passage of highly concentrated RBCs and some plasma.RBCs can be seen entering the depletion compartment 14 by initiallyfilling the standpipe 26 (which preferably has a volume of 1 mL, as willbe described below). During use, the RBCs will continue to flow todepletion compartment 14 until the standpipe 26 is full, at which timethe RBCs will overflow and fill the larger section of the depletioncompartment 14.

FIG. 29 shows the standpipe 26 overflowing and the RBCs filling thelarger depletion chamber. The interface between RBCs and plasma,delineated by the buffy coat 2, is now readily apparent. As the funnel11 narrows, the same volume of cells must occupy less horizontal space.As a consequence, the vertical space occupied increases and it becomeseasier to distinguish each stratified layer of cell types.

Turning to FIG. 30, the WBCs entering the narrow portion of the funnel11 is shown. As the WBCs enter this narrower portion, theirstratification continues, with the GRNs on the bottom (not labeled),MNCs 3 in the middle, and PLTs 4 resting on top of the MNCs. The bulk ofthe plasma 5 in is shown above the PLTs.

The emitter/detector pairs, as shown in FIG. 27, monitor the passage ofthe cells through the narrow region of the primary compartment. FIG. 31shows the infrared optical counts of blood cell populations during the100 G transit from the 1^(st) position (topmost) emitter/detector pair.The horizontal line represents the optical count observed in cell-freeplasma. Lower optical counts signify that WBCs and PTLs are stillpresent in the sample being observed by the emitted/detector pair. Theinitial rise from 0 at the bottom left of the graph indicates when thebuffy coat layer disposed above the RBCs passes the 1^(st) positionemitter/detector pair. The rising value indicates the solution passingbetween the emitter/detector pairs is becoming clearer, meaning itcomprises fewer RBCs. As the clearer layers approach, the valueincreases, for instance to 50, then 100,200 and so on.

Under some circumstances the optical count values that are shown in FIG.31 as rising while cells are depleted, may, when the depletion ishalted, begin to fall, indicating that more cells are entering thesensing area. The reasons for this are complex. First, the opticalmeasurements are being taken through a fluid which experiencesturbulence and eddies as particles of varying densities are reorganizedas they are evacuated through the bottom of a funnel of decreasingradius. RBCs and WBCs fall at differing rates due to their differingsizes. Consequently, if the rate of evacuation of the RBCs is greaterthan the sedimentation rate for certain particles (such as the PLTs,small in size relative to the others), then those particles will lagbehind other particles having faster sedimentation rates. The carefullystratified mixture becomes partially mixed during the evacuationprocess. Not only do the RBCs fall at one rate while the WBCs fall at adifferent rate, but also the motion of the WBCs may be inhibited by themotion of the vastly more numerous RBCs. Further, the density of RBCschanges throughout their lifecycle. Consequently, the lighter RBCs willrise with the displaced plasma as the more dense RBCs pack into thebottom of the funnel. Thus the WBCs that began at the bottom of thefunnel and which rose towards the RBC/plasma interface are accompaniedby the much more numerous “lighter” RBCs. These ascending cells maneuveraround the descending dense RBCs due to the fact that all cells possessa slightly negative charge and so tend to repel one another.

To counter this mixing that inevitably occurs during depletion, the anexemplary embodiment of the system, after evacuating for a set timecloses the tubing through which the cells are passing and allows thedescending cells to re-compact and re-stratify. Upon reopening thetubing, mixing begins to occur again within the funnel. The presentinvention is thus able to employ a start-stop approach that periodicallyhalts the evacuation process, should this mixing not be suitable for agiven application.

Turning to FIG. 32, a latter point in the process is shown. At a certainpoint in the process the tube to the RBC depletion compartment 14 isclosed, and the tube to the SC harvesting compartment 15 is opened. FIG.32 depicts a later time in the process wherein the pathway to the SCharvest compartment 15 has been opened and the pathway to the RBCdepletion compartment pinched shut. Because the RBC depletioncompartment standpipe 26 holds the final 1 mL of RBCs to enter the RBCdepletion compartment 15, the standpipe 26 contains the least dense ofthe RBCs, and hence a greater concentration of GRNs and NRBCs than doesthe RBC depletion compartment 15 as a whole. A technician may laterrecover the contents of the standpipe 26 and thus obtain GRNs and NRBCsfor HLA typing without sacrificing the recovery of SPCs from the smallerSC compartment 15. As centrifugation continues, cells of greater densitycontinue to be urged away from the axis of rotation. The plasma 5remaining in the primary compartment continues to exert pressure on thefluid and cells beneath it, and drives the MNCs 3, and PLTs 4 up thetube leading to the SC harvest compartment 15. As shown, even after theMNCs and PLTs are largely removed from the primary compartment, plasma 5is allowed to then flow into the SC harvest compartment 15, washing theconnecting tube in the process and assuring that all SPCs are collectedin the harvest compartment 15.

The timing for controlling the valve system 16 so fluid (and cells) aredirected to the SC harvest compartment 15 as opposed to the RBCdepletion compartment 14 is critical. If the valves are switched tooearly, RBCs may enter the SC harvest compartment 15, raising the HCT anddecreasing the purity of the sample collected. If the valves areswitched too late, some of the MNCs may move to the RBC depletioncompartment 14, thereby reducing the recovery of the MNCs and SPCsharvested.

One difficulty present in the prior art that is overcome by an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention is the challenge of collecting apredetermined final volume of liquid transferred during centrifugation.This is important for example because various other types of equipmentin which it is anticipated blood samples from the current invention willbe used are configured to accept a predetermined volume of liquid, suchas 20 mL. Although detecting when a certain volume of fluid has beencollected during centrifugation is possible with specialized scalesmeasuring the weight of the fluid collected, for reliability purposes asolid-state solution is preferred. To determine the volume of liquidpassing through to the SC harvest compartment certain assumptions arerequired. First, it is known that the fluid above the cells passingthrough the sensor region of the main compartment is creating downwardpressure on those cells and prompting their evacuation through thebottom of the funnel. As the liquid continues to be evacuated underconstant acceleration, the rate of evacuation slows because there isless pressure on those cells due to the decreasing volume of plasmaabove them. It is also known that although cell viscosity may vary fromhematocrit to hematocrit and person to person, plasma is adequatelyconsistent with regard to viscosity. Consequently, once all the targetcells have passed and only plasma remains to be transferred through thetubing to the SC compartment it will flow at a predictable rateproportionate to the dynamic head of plasma above it.

In the present invention, the above facts are coupled with a method thatemploys the multiple emitter/detector pairs passed by the evacuatedcells. For instance, as the buffy coat approaches the top sensor, theoptical count detected by the top, or 1^(st) position emitter/detectorpair, will begin to rise, as described above. An arbitrary optical countvalue (in this case 4) is predetermined and a timestamp is initiatedwhen the 1^(st) position emitter/detector pair detects that arbitraryvalue. As evacuation continues, a second timestamp is set when the2^(nd) position emitter/detector pair (that is, the pair just under thetopmost pair) reads that same arbitrary value. Through calculations thattake into account the distance between the 1^(st) position and 2^(nd)position emitter/detector pairs, and the time taken for the arbitraryvalue to reach the 2^(nd) position, the velocity of blood component flowbetween the two pairs of sensors may be determined. The same process maybe employed to determine the amount of time it takes any arbitrary valueto pass from one sensor to any other sensor located beneath it.

With a further understanding of the volume of blood between sensors, arate of volume depletion may be calculated. For instance, it is knownthat in one embodiment of the present invention the volume in the bottomtip of the funnel below the 1^(st) position sensor is 6 mL, while thevolume below the second position sensor is 4 mL. The rate of flow canthus be calculated based on the understanding that between the firsttime stamp and the second time stamp, 2 mL of blood is evacuated. Therate may be further refined by detecting when the 3^(rd) position and4^(th) position (lowest) emitted/detector pair read that same arbitraryvalue. Importantly, during this process, the aforementioned start-stoptechnique is taking place and the effect of full valve closure on therate of evacuation is noted. In conclusion, through extrapolation basedon an observed rate of flow through stacked emitter/detector pairs, alimit can be set on the time that the valve to the SC harvestcompartment is open as the solution of WBCs including the SPCs is toppedup with plasma to a desired volume. The limit varies dependent on therate of flow, which ultimately is predominately dependent on thepressure caused by the head of liquid above the evacuation point and, tosome extent by the viscosity of the plasma that is used to “top up” thestem cell solution to a predetermined final volume.

In alternative embodiments of the invention RBCs may be collected athigher or lower accelerations then the currently chosen 100 G, forinstance in a gravitational field of 50 to 200 Gs.

An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises a method tosignificantly reduce the number of PLTs 4 which are collected with theMNCs 5.

As is shown in FIG. 33, during the centrifugation process the MNCs 3 andplatelets 4 concentrate at the bottom narrow portion of the primarycompartment 11. At this point in the process, if the pinch valve to theSC harvest compartment 15 were opened, then the MNCs would be urged bythe mass of plasma in a direction first perpendicular to the axis ofrotation and then up the right side tube towards the axis of rotationand into the SC harvest compartment 15. Without additional steps taken,the plasma would subsequently force the PLTs into the SC harvestcompartment until they were depleted at which time the flow of plasmawould top up the SC harvest compartment.

To reduce the number of PLTs that enter the SC harvest compartment 15,the technician may program the control module to pause the harvestprocess at the end of the RBC/GRN depletion cycle (by closing the RBCvalve and not opening the MNC valve) and allow the centrifuge to come toa stop. In this method, the technician then removes the cartridge fromthe centrifuge bucket and gently rocks the cartridge in order toredistribute MNCs 3 and PLTs 4 throughout the plasma 5 in the funnel,dispersing them as depicted in FIG. 34.

As shown in FIG. 35, the cartridge is then centrifuged for a smalleramount of time and at a lower acceleration. The smaller amount of timeand lower acceleration is sufficient to cause the denser and fastermoving MNCs 3 to reconcentrate at the bottom of the funnel, but notenough to cause the PLTs to do the same. The PLTs are of lower densityand size, and thus require more time to migrate to the bottom of thefunnel. By not providing that time, the majority of the MNCs can beseparated from the majority of the PLTs as shown.

Turning to FIG. 36, when the pinch valve to the SC harvest compartment15 is then opened, the MNCs 3 flow first, followed by plasma 5 and asmall fraction of PLTs 4 and then the SC harvest tubing is pinchedclosed. While some PLTs still make it into the SC harvest compartment,the fraction is proportional to the volume of plasma that wastransferred into the SC harvest compartment compared to the total volumeof plasma in the disposable cartridge. For example a 100 ml volume ofblood would typically contain about 55 ml of plasma. If 5 ml of plasmawere transferred to the SC harvest compartment, leaving 50 ml of plasmabehind in the primary compartment, then the proportion of PLTs with theMNCs would be about 10% of the total PLTs—constituting a roughly 90%reduction of PLTs in the MNC harvest.

Turning to FIG. 37, another alternative embodiment is illustrated. Inthis alternative embodiment of the invention, GRNs 6 may be desired inthe SC harvest compartment 15. For instance, in the collection of cordblood, the total WBC count often determines which of two cord bloodunits equally matched to the patient is chosen. Therefore it may bedesired to include the majority of GRNs with the MNCs. To obtain thisresult, the technician may program the control module to open the valveto the SC harvest compartment earlier than in the other (abovedisclosed) embodiments, thereby allowing the top layer of RBCs(comprising many of the GRNs) into the harvest compartment. It should bereadily apparent that through adjustments in timing, varying amounts ofGRNs may be allowed into the SC harvest compartment. The samplecollected in the harvest compartment is subsequently topped off withplasma so that the sample retains a relatively low (approximately 2-10%hematocrit).

Turning to FIG. 38, in any of the above embodiments, mechanisms are inplace for removing the contents of the SC harvest compartment as well asthe standpipe which contains the last 1 mL of RBCs transferred to theRBC compartment. FIG. 38 shows the disposable cartridge with both the SCharvest tube 27 and the RBC/GRN harvest tube 28 deployed for collection.The RBC/GRN harvest tube connects to the exterior of the cartridge byany means known in the art, and creates a fluid connection with thebottom of the standpipe, thereby providing a simple means to retrieveNRBCs and GRNs from the last 1 mL of the cell solution for sampling,such as obtaining human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing, and then theremainder of the RBC/GRNs can also be removed, as required.

In any embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood thatantibody beads, either bouyant in plasma or approximately as dense asRBCs, may be introduced to the sample prior to harvesting to bind tocells known to not be useful for a specific research or clinicalpurpose.

In any embodiment of the present invention, it should be readilyunderstood that fluorescent material absorbable by certain cellpopulations may be introduced to the sample prior to harvesting to allowtracking of said cell populations through the harvesting process andthereafter.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect tocertain embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations andmodifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the readingand understanding of the specification. In particular, with regard tothe various functions performed by the above-described components, theterms (including any reference to a “means”) used to describe suchcomponents are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, toany component which performs the specified function of the describedcomponent (e.g., that is functionally equivalent) even though notstructurally equivalent to the disclosed component which performs thefunctions in the herein exemplary embodiments of the invention. Inaddition, while a particular feature of the invention may have beendisclosed with respect to only one embodiment, such feature may becombined with one or more other features of other embodiments as may bedesired or advantageous for any given or particular application.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for depleting at least one ofred blood cells, granulocytes, or platelets from a sample comprisingblood, bone marrow, or stromal vascular fraction cells separated fromadipose tissue, the apparatus comprising: a. a centrifuge having an axisof rotation: b. a rigid cartridge comprising: i. a rigid internalchamber having a radius generally inversely proportional to the distancefrom said axis of rotation when said cartridge is being centrifuged insaid centrifuge, an inlet, and an exit port; ii. a valve systemcomprising at least one valve; iii. a first rigid storage compartmentcloser to said axis of rotation when said cartridge is being centrifugedin said centrifuge than said exit port; and iv. a second rigid storagecompartment closer to said axis of rotation when said cartridge is beingcentrifuged in said centrifuge than said exit port; and c. a controlmodule.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least a portionof said valve system is farther from said axis of rotation when saidcartridge is being centrifuged in said centrifuge than said first andsecond storage compartments.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1further comprising a cam in operable relation to said at least onevalve.
 4. An apparatus for depleting at least one of red blood cells,granulocytes, or platelets from a sample comprising blood, bone marrow,or stromal vascular fraction cells separated from adipose tissue, theapparatus comprising: a. a rigid container comprising: i. an outershell; ii. a funnel shaped rigid chamber comprising an output openinglocated at a small end of said rigid chamber and an input openinglocated at a large end of said rigid chamber; iii. at least two rigidcompartments initially fluidly isolated from said rigid chamber; iv. avalve fluidly connected to said output opening and located between saidrigid chamber and said at least two rigid compartments, said valvehaving a first configuration wherein a fluid connection does not existbetween said rigid chamber and either rigid compartment, and a secondconfiguration wherein a fluid connection exists only between said rigidchamber and either rigid compartment; and b. a control module.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4 wherein each of said compartments comprise acompartment inlet, and wherein said compartment inlets are closer to anaxis of rotation than said output opening.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4further comprising an optical sensor.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6further comprising a gravitational sensor, and a battery.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 6 wherein said optical sensor is located in saidcontrol module.
 9. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a valvecontrol means for determining whether said valve is in said first,second, or third configuration.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 whereinsaid optical sensor is operably connected to said valve control means.11. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a centrifuge configuredto accept said rigid container and to generate a centrifugal force. 12.The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a first and a second sensoroperatively coupled to a valve controller, said sensors and valvecontroller configured to collect a predetermined final volume of liquidin said second rigid compartment.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12 whereinsaid control module is configured to measure a first quantity of timeelapsed between the measurement of a predetermined reading by said firstsensor and by said second sensor, and to actuate said valve controllerat a time calculated, based on said a first quantity of time elapsed, tocollect said predetermined final volume of liquid in said second rigidcompartment.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising a third sensor,and wherein said control module is configured to: a. measure a firstquantity of time elapsed between the measurement of a predeterminedreading by said first sensor and by said second sensor; b. measure asecond quantity of time elapsed between the measurement of apredetermined reading by said second sensor and by said third sensor;and c. to actuate said valve controller at a time calculated, based onsaid first and second quantities of time, to collect said predeterminedfinal volume of liquid in said second rigid compartment.
 15. Anapparatus for isolating a substantially pure solution of at least onecell type from a sample comprising biological fluid, the apparatuscomprising: a. a control module comprising: i. a valve control means;ii. a gravitational sensor; iii. an optical sensor; and iv. a battery;a. a rigid cartridge removably connected to said control module, saidrigid cartridge comprising: i. a rigid outer shell; ii. a generallyfunnel shaped rigid chamber having a small end comprising an outputopening and a large end comprising an input opening; iii. a first andsecond rigid storage compartment initially not in fluid communicationwith said output opening; iv. a first valve in communication with saidoutput opening and said first rigid storage compartment, wherein saidfirst valve has a closed configuration and an open configuration; and v.a second valve in communication with said output opening and said secondrigid storage compartment, wherein said second valve has a closedconfiguration and an open configuration.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15wherein said valve control means comprises a cam.
 17. The apparatus ofclaim 15 wherein at least one of said instances of communication is viaa flexible conduit.